Impact of a Science Methods Course on Pre-Service Elementary Teachers\u27 Knowledge and Confidence of Teaching with Scientific Inquiry and Problem-Based Learning

The purpose of this study was to measure the impact of an elementary science methods course on pre-service teachers\u27 knowledge and confidence of teaching with inquiry and problem-based instructional strategies. Changes in pre-service teachers\u27 knowledge and confidence were measured before and after completing the course activities using a pilot survey entitled Science Pedagogical Content Knowledge & Confidence (PCKC) Survey. An integrated lecture/laboratory elementary science methods course engaged participants with hands-on activities designed to increase their pedagogical content knowledge: including theory, planning and implementation of inquiry, and problem-based learning. The results indicated that pre-service teachers\u27 knowledge and confidence improved as a result of enrollment in the elementary science methods course. This article validates reform movements to incorporate scientific inquiry and problem-based learning into coursework

Optimal MRI sequences for 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET/MRI in evaluation of biochemically recurrent prostate cancer.

BackgroundPET/MRI can be used for the detection of disease in biochemical recurrence (BCR) patients imaged with 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET. This study was designed to determine the optimal MRI sequences to localize positive findings on 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET of patients with BCR after definitive therapy. Fifty-five consecutive prostate cancer patients with BCR imaged with 68Ga-PSMA-11 3.0T PET/MRI were retrospectively analyzed. Mean PSA was 7.9 ± 12.9 ng/ml, and mean PSA doubling time was 7.1 ± 6.6 months. Detection rates of anatomic correlates for prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-positive foci were evaluated on small field of view (FOV) T2, T1 post-contrast, and diffusion-weighted images. For prostate bed recurrences, the detection rate of dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) imaging for PSMA-positive foci was evaluated. Finally, the detection sensitivity for PSMA-avid foci on 3- and 8-min PET acquisitions was compared.ResultsPSMA-positive foci were detected in 89.1% (49/55) of patients evaluated. Small FOV T2 performed best for lymph nodes and detected correlates for all PSMA-avid lymph nodes. DCE imaging performed the best for suspected prostate bed recurrence, detecting correlates for 87.5% (14/16) of PSMA-positive prostate bed foci. The 8-min PET acquisition performed better than the 3-min acquisition for lymph nodes smaller than 1 cm, detecting 100% (57/57) of lymph nodes less than 1 cm, compared to 78.9% (45/57) for the 3-min acquisition.ConclusionPSMA PET/MRI performed well for the detection of sites of suspected recurrent disease in patients with BCR. Of the MRI sequences obtained for localization, small FOV T2 images detected the greatest proportion of PSMA-positive abdominopelvic lymph nodes and DCE imaging detected the greatest proportion of PSMA-positive prostate bed foci. The 8-min PET acquisition was superior to the 3 min acquisition for detection of small lymph nodes

Genome scan of Diabrotica virgifera virgifera for genetic variation associated with crop rotation tolerance

Crop rotation has been a valuable technique for control of Diabrotica virgifera virgifera for almost a century. However, during the last two decades, crop rotation has ceased to be effective in an expanding area of the US corn belt. This failure appears to be due to a change in the insect's oviposition behaviour, which, in all probability, has an underlying genetic basis. A preliminary genome scan using 253 amplified fragment-length polymorphism (AFLP) markers sought to identify genetic variation associated with the circumvention of crop rotation. Samples of D. v. virgifera from east-central Illinois, where crop rotation is ineffective, were compared with samples from Iowa at locations that the behavioural variant has yet to reach. A single AFLP marker showed signs of having been influenced by selection for the circumvention of crop rotation. However, this marker was not diagnostic. The lack of markers strongly associated with the trait may be due to an insufficient density of marker coverage throughout the genome. A weak but significant general heterogeneity was observed between the Illinois and Iowa samples at microsatellite loci and AFLP markers. This has not been detected in previous population genetic studies of D. v. virgifera and may indicate a reduction in gene flow between variant and wild-type beetles

Phase Diagram for Anderson Disorder: beyond Single-Parameter Scaling

The Anderson model for independent electrons in a disordered potential is transformed analytically and exactly to a basis of random extended states leading to a variant of augmented space. In addition to the widely-accepted phase diagrams in all physical dimensions, a plethora of additional, weaker Anderson transitions are found, characterized by the long-distance behavior of states. Critical disorders are found for Anderson transitions at which the asymptotically dominant sector of augmented space changes for all states at the same disorder. At fixed disorder, critical energies are also found at which the localization properties of states are singular. Under the approximation of single-parameter scaling, this phase diagram reduces to the widely-accepted one in 1, 2 and 3 dimensions. In two dimensions, in addition to the Anderson transition at infinitesimal disorder, there is a transition between two localized states, characterized by a change in the nature of wave function decay.Comment: 51 pages including 4 figures, revised 30 November 200

The Refinement of Ipsilateral Eye Retinotopic Maps Is Increased by Removing the Dominant Contralateral Eye in Adult Mice

Background: Shortly after eye opening, initially disorganized visual cortex circuitry is rapidly refined to form smooth retinotopic maps. This process asymptotes long before adulthood, but it is unknown whether further refinement is possible. Prior work from our lab has shown that the retinotopic map of the non-dominant ipsilateral eye develops faster when the dominant contralateral eye is removed. We examined whether input from the contralateral eye might also limit the ultimate refinement of the ipsilateral eye retinotopic map in adults. In addition, we examined whether the increased refinement involved the recruitment of adjacent cortical area. Methodology/Principal Findings: By surgically implanting a chronic optical window over visual cortex in mice, we repeatedly measured the degree of retinotopic map refinement using quantitative intrinsic signal optical imaging over four weeks. We removed the contralateral eye and observed that the retinotopic map for the ipsilateral eye was further refined and the maximum magnitude of response increased. However, these changes were not accompanied by an increase in the area of responsive cortex. Conclusions/Significance: Since the retinotopic map was functionally refined to a greater degree without taking over adjacent cortical area, we conclude that input from the contralateral eye limits the normal refinement of visual cortica

Combining to innovate: A collaborative interprofessional learning approach to delivering Tobacco Use Prevention and Cessation (TUPAC) education for undergraduate oral health students

This paper provides a description of a pilot project in Tobacco Use Prevention and Cessation (TUPAC) in response to a national and international trend to include TUPAC curriculum components in the clinical education of undergraduate oral health students. In order to deliver quality brief intervention strategies for smokers a need to adequately prepare oral health students was identified during student clinical placements. An interprofessional (IP) project team was established with membership from the University of Adelaide’s School of Dentistry, QuitSA, Cancer Council SA, the South Australian Dental Service (SADS) Somerton Park and TAFESA’s Faculty of Dental Studies to streamline the efficient use of resources and most importantly draw on a diverse range of interprofessional health care expertise. On the website for The UK Centre for the Advancement of Interprofessional Education (CAIPE) (2002) it states that “Interprofessional education occurs when two or more professions learn from and about each other to improve collaboration and the quality of care”. Through interprofessional learning (IPL) in classroom and clinical settings, second year Bachelor and Advanced Diploma oral health students were provided with the opportunity to develop an understanding of the respective roles of each health professional responsible for delivering positive health initiatives in the area of TUPAC. With limited national oral health curricula in the area of TUPAC, the project team forged links with the University of Manitoba’s Dental Hygiene Program, and the convenor of the TUPAC in Dental and Dental Hygiene Undergraduate Education European Workshops for curriculum benchmarking against evidence based criteria. Most importantly as the IP concept of health care considers the patient at the centre of the health care team, assessment was designed to encourage a patient centred approach through the review and analysis of a clinical case study. A formal evaluation of this project is currently in progress, however results were not yet available at the time of publication

Retrospective Study of Midazolam Protocol for Prehospital Behavioral Emergencies

Introduction: Agitated patients in the prehospital setting pose challenges for both patient care and emergency medical services (EMS) provider safety. Midazolam is frequently used to control agitation in the emergency department setting; however, limited data exist in the prehospital setting. We describe our experience treating patients with midazolam for behavioral emergencies in a large urban EMS system. We hypothesized that using midazolam for acute agitation leads to improved clinical conditions without causing significant clinical deterioration.Methods: We performed a retrospective review of EMS patient care reports following implementation of a behavioral emergencies protocol in a large urban EMS system from February 2014–June 2016. For acute agitation, paramedics administered midazolam 1 milligram (mg) intravenous (IV), 5 mg intramuscular (IM), or 5 mg intranasal (IN). Results were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Levene’s test for assessing variance among study groups, and t-test to evaluate effectiveness based on route.Results: In total, midazolam was administered 294 times to 257 patients. Median age was 30 (interquartile range 24–42) years, and 66.5% were male. Doses administered were 1 mg (7.1%) and 5 mg (92.9%). Routes were IM (52.0%), IN (40.8%), and IV (7.1%). A second dose was administered to 37 patients. In the majority of administrations, midazolam improved the patient’s condition (73.5%) with infrequent adverse events (3.4%). There was no significant difference between the effectiveness of IM and IN midazolam (71.0% vs 75.4%; p = 0.24).Conclusion: A midazolam protocol for prehospital agitation was associated with reduced agitation and a low rate of adverse events